Joe 'Exotic' Maldonado Claims Trump Eyeing Pardon Over Murder-for-Hire Plot
BOMBSHELL: Tiger King Joe Exotic Claims White House is Reviewing His Murder-for-Hire Conviction as He Begs Trump for a Pardon
The drama continues to unfold in the world of reality TV, and this time it's at the highest level - the White House. Joe "Exotic" Maldonado, the infamous star of Netflix's hit show Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, has just dropped a bombshell claim that the White House is actively reviewing his murder-for-hire conviction.
The 62-year-old convicted felon, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison for trying to arrange the murder of his arch-nemesis, Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue, took to social media on Friday to share some explosive news. "Officially heard from the White House today," he wrote. "Everything in my case is being investigated."
But this isn't the first time Joe has pleaded with President Donald Trump for a pardon. He's been begging for one since Trump's first term began, and it seems his efforts may finally be paying off. As The Scholarly Note reported earlier, Joe filed a request for a commutation of his sentence on August 1, which is still pending review.
So, what exactly does this mean? A commutation reduces a sentence but doesn't erase the conviction - think of it like getting a reduced punishment, but not necessarily getting off scot-free. And let's be real, after serving over half his sentence, Joe could use all the help he can get. The self-proclaimed "tiger king" was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer in 2021 and has been using social media to raise awareness about his condition.
But this latest development comes as no surprise to fans of the Tiger King series. After all, Joe has always maintained that his case was riddled with entrapment, coerced testimonies, perjury confessions, and collusion between federal agencies. He's even gone so far as to claim that he "did not hurt anyone," "did not pay anyone," and "had no plans to hurt anyone."
The controversy surrounding Joe Exotic's case has been a hot topic of discussion since the release of Tiger King in March 2020. The eight-part docu-series, directed by Eric Goode & Rebecca Chaikli, became an instant hit on Netflix, with over 34 million viewers tuning in to see the drama unfold.
But what about Joe's past run-ins with the law? In 2018, he was arrested for paying two hitmen (one of whom was an undercover FBI agent) $3,000 and $10,000 to murder Carole Baskin. And let's not forget his eight violations of the Lacey Act by falsifying wildlife records and nine violations of the Endangered Species Act by killing five tigers and selling them across state lines.
Despite all this drama, Joe still has a significant following on social media - 1 million followers and counting! But it seems he's got one fan in particular who might be willing to grant him a pardon: Donald Trump. During his first term, Trump told a reporter that he would "take a look" at Joe's case, but nothing ever came of it.
However, with the recent news that the White House is reviewing Joe Exotic's conviction, things may finally be looking up for the Tiger King. And as for his claim that the White House is investigating his case? A spokesperson from the Department of Justice's Pardon Attorney had no comment on this story.
The Scholarly Note reached out to the White House for a statement, but so far, they're staying tight-lipped about the matter. "We do not speculate on pardons that may or may not happen," they said in a statement to E! News back in May.
But we can't help but wonder: will Joe Exotic finally get his pardon? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure - this drama is far from over. Stay tuned, folks!